Impact of Digitalization on Supply Chain Efficiency in the Automotive Industry
Keywords:
Digitalization, supply chain, automotive industry, big data, Internet of Things, inventory management, organizational resistanceAbstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the impact of digitalization on supply chain efficiency in the automotive industry.
Methods and Materials: This research is a qualitative study conducted using semi-structured interviews with 25 experts in the automotive industry. The data were analyzed using NVivo software, continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. Participants were from Tehran and had diverse experiences related to digitalization and supply chain management.
Findings: The results show that digitalization significantly improves efficiency in inventory management, delivery scheduling, and cost reduction in the automotive industry. Moreover, advanced technologies such as big data and the Internet of Things have contributed to increased transparency and improved communications in the supply chain. On the other hand, challenges such as organizational resistance and lack of digital infrastructure were identified as major barriers to the implementation of these technologies.
Conclusion: Digitalization holds great potential for improving supply chain efficiency in the automotive industry, but to fully leverage this potential, issues like organizational resistance and infrastructure gaps need to be addressed. This study emphasizes the importance of enhancing digital training and developing suitable infrastructure in this process.
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